Tuesday, 27 November 2012

The Y Word

On Sunday the swagger returned to White Hart Lane. Spurs dispatched
West Ham in the style of seasons past. Quick movement on and off the
ball, controlled passing and decisive strikes in front of goal, the good
old days could be well be on their way back for Tottenham and their
manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Sadly though it
wasn’t just this positive part of nostalgia and history which reappeared
on Sunday. The vile, racist and abusive chants emanating from the West
Ham fans were a sickening reminder of the bad old days, the seventies
and eighties when the hooligan ruled the terraces.

The
chants themselves have been well documented and don’t need repeating
here but we are now facing the recrimination and aftermath. Questions
like why did they happen and what can be done by the authorities to
tackle them.

People like Peter Herbert from The Society
of Black Lawyers and David Baddiel are very clear in their opinions of
why. The use of the ‘Y word’ by Tottenham fans is wrong, leads to the
legitimising of the word which in turn leads to it’s use by opposition
fans. Their view is that it is a racist term and should not be used in
any context by any person or group.

Let me get this out
in the open straight away. If David Baddiel, a Jew himself says that
the word is racist, I believe him. If he says that it’s use should be
banned or eradicated I believe him. I also believe that the cause of
the SOBL is a noble one. I even think that somewhere down the line the
chant of ‘Yid Army’ will disappear from Tottenham fans’ repertoire.

I
don’t however believe that the use of the Y word instigated and
heightened the problem on Sunday. Anti-Semitic abuse existed long
before Tottenham fans ‘reclaimed’ the word and used it as a badge of
honour. Chants by their neighbours have regularly referenced their
Jewish heritage, despite that fact that, as Baddiel argues, Spurs don’t
have many more Jewish fans than other clubs.

This
chanting has continued throughout the intervening years although not to
the severity or viciousness of what was witnessed on Sunday. And at
this point it is worth noting that it isn’t just West Ham fans who
target Tottenham, other clubs supporters have too. And it is also worth
noting that it is not all fans of a club we are talking about.

But
it was the sheer scale of the chanting and the actual chants used on
Sunday that was shocking. The attacks on Spurs fans in Rome just 4 days
earlier, that look to have been more racially motivated rather than
football related, are a definite catalyst but the sheer fact the
anti-Semitic chanting is now in the news also plays a part.

Putting
it in the media spotlight has merely reminded some of the idiots that
go to football matches that it exists. Spurs fans chanting ‘Yid Army’
certainly didn’t do that, certainly didn’t warrant mention of Hitler or
gassing noises. And even if Spurs dispense with the phrase, others will
still refer to them as the ‘Jewish club’.

Mind you, the
SOBL and David Baddiel might say that the ends justify the means.
Having the debate in the public arena was their first goal. How the FA
deal with the issue will be interesting and will define how their second
goal is seen. They have in the past only sporadically penalised teams
for offensive chanting by their fans. But perhaps now is the time for
the footballing authorities to make a stand and tackle the issue head
on.

As mentioned previously I believe the use of ‘Yid’ by
Tottenham fans will probably disappear, but whether it’s replacement is
any better remains to be seen. ‘Jew Army’ might be seen as equally
provoking whereas ‘White Army’ opens up as whole different can of worms.

Whatever happens it does seem that we are at a
crossroads. The issue is now out in the open. If it is dealt with
effectively it could signify the first steps on the road to removing
racism from football.

About Me

Currently doing a MA Sports Journalism course at Sunderland University. Covering Jarrovians and Westoe Rugby Clubs for the Shields Gazette but blog about sport in general and cycling and football in particular.